text:
A major fire broke out in Barcelona's Port Forum, on April 9 around 7:15 am, Naucher Global reports. The origin of the blaze is still unknown but it is confirmed that it started on one yacht and then quickly spread to nearby vessels.
After firefighters extinguished the flames, another fire broke out at 3pm for reasons still to be confirmed. 2.5 hours later the second fire was put out. According to several Spanish newspapers, the fire has affected 10 yachts in total measuring between 19 and 23m LOA.
Fifteen emergency teams have been working on the scene. There were no serious injuries reported however one person has been transferred to a nearby hospital as the result of mild intoxication due to smoke inhalation.
This is not the first incident involving numerous vessels catching fire. In March 2016, 8 boats were destroyed in Abu Dhabi yacht club due to a major fire.
Photos by Naucher Global
Latest News
The Italian Sea Group (TISG) continues to expand its international commercial development plan with the introduction of the first Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 in North Africa. This milestone underscores the ongoing success of the project, marking a significant step in the company's growth strategy.The iconic motor yacht Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 offers unparalleled luxury with high-performance capabilities. Designed with innovation in mind, its shallow draft allows for mooring in shallow waters, while reaching impressive speeds of up to 63 knots. Following its success in the United Arab Emirates, the yacht has now made its mark in the MENA region, particularly in North Africa.The region's burgeoning elite tourism sector, driven by entertainment and exclusive water sports activities, has paved the way for the introduction of the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63. This achievement reflects TISG's robust business development strategy, bolstered by strategic partnerships in the region and meticulous commercial efforts.Recognized for its avant-garde luxury and sporty design, the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 has earned accolades in the luxury industry. Notably, it was named among the "Best of the Best" in the "Motor Yacht Weekend Cruiser" category by Robb Report and received the "Motor Yacht under 25 meters" award at the 2022 International Yacht & Aviation Awards.Headed by Italian entrepreneur Giovanni Costantino, The Italian Sea Group is a global luxury yacht operator, specializing in the construction and refitting of motoryachts and sailing yachts. With brands such as Admiral, Tecnomar, Perini Navi, and Picchiotti, the company has established a reputation for excellence and elegance in the nautical world.The Italian Sea Group's strategic partnerships with renowned Italian luxury brands, including Giorgio Armani and Automobili Lamborghini, underscore its commitment to innovation and quality beyond all limits. As confirmed by the Global Order Book 2024, the company maintains its position as the leading Italian producer of superyachts over 50 meters.The Italian Sea Group is a global operator in the luxury yachting industry, listed on Euronext Milan ("EXM") and active in the construction and refit of motor yachts and sailing yachts up to 140 meters. The Company, led by Italian entrepreneur Giovanni Costantino, operates on the market with the brands Admiral, renown for elegant and prestigious yachts, Tecnomar, Perini Navi, and Picchiotti; the Company has a business unit, NCA Refit, that manages the maintenance and refit services for yachts and mega yachts with a length over 60 meters. Credits: The Italian Sea Group
February 23, 2024
Azimut will attend the Dubai Boat Show, scheduled from the 28th of February to the 3rd of March 2024, and will premiere the new S7 for the Middle East. Also the shipyards will present two models of the Fly Series, in addition to the S6 and Grande 27M. For the 2024 Dubai International Boat Show, Azimut will reveal the S7, the sport yacht with a green soul, to the Middle East public for the first time. The latest addition to the S Series, the S7 is a high-style motor yacht with a sporty and sustainable soul that was born from the collaboration between the yacht designer Alberto Mancini and the creative boutique Yachtique – the design hub within the Azimut|Benetti Group. This 22-meter yacht is part of Azimut's Low Emission Yacht family thanks to the technological research carried out by the R&D Department. The advanced naval architecture and the optimized hull lines, designed in collaboration with P.L. Ausonio Naval Architecture combined with the extremely efficient propulsion composed of three Volvo IPS engines, allow a reduction in consumption and CO2 emissions of up to 30% at the most common speeds compared to a boat of the same weight and size with a traditional hard-chine hull and centerline.Alongside the S7, the Fly Series will be represented by the Fly 53 and the Fly 68. Both models feature exterior lines by Alberto Mancini, who incorporates a sporty appearance and slender geometries into every design.Azimut's lineup for the Dubai International Boat Show includes also the S6 and the Grande 27M.Dubai International Boat Show 2024 is the largest and most prestigious boat show in the Middle East, which this year celebrates its thirtieth edition, welcoming more than 30,000 visitors from 120 countries.Azimut Yachts is an Azimut Benetti Group brand. With its Atlantis, Magellano Flybridge, S, Verve and Grande collections, Azimut offers the widest range of 10 to 40 meters.Credits: Azimut Yachts
February 22, 2024
Saxdor Yachts has announced the appointment of DCH Marine as its new partner for Asia-Pacific. Formally established by Dah Chong Hong Holdings Limited in June 2014 as a new business unit which focuses on the high-end luxury yacht market segment, DCH Marine has over 70 years of experience in the region. With shared values, expertise and vision, Saxdor Yachts and DCH Marine will establish a service and sales structure together which is specifically designed to serve clients at the highest possible level, providing seamless ownership solutions and service capabilities throughout the region. DCH Marine will be incorporating Saxdor's existing network and adding new sales points and service points within the territory over the coming months, which will time well with Saxdor's aggressive product release plan with the all-new Saxdor 460 GTC and 320 GTWA.Adam Waters, Managing Director of DCH Marine, and Mrs. Erna Rusi, CEO of Saxdor Yachts"This partnership and newly established agreement with DCH Marine accelerates Saxdor Yachts into a new phase of regional growth. Together with DCH Marine's experience and, above all, their technical expertise and services standards, we are certain that, as a team, we can satisfy the increasing demands of yachting enthusiasts in the Asia-Pacific region," says Erna Rusi, CEO of Saxdor Yachts.Saxdor 400 GTODCH Marine boasts sales points in Hong Kong, Singapore, China (in Shenzhen and Sanya), Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia (Sydney and Gold Coast) and New Zealand. Later this year it will open new sales points in Shanghai, Taiwan, the Philippines, Perth and Melbourne, and in 2025 also in Indonesia.The upcoming Singapore Boat Show (25th – 28th April) will be the stage for the official debut of the new distribution agreement, as well as the Australasia launch of the all new Saxdor 400 GTO.Since its inception in 2019, Saxdor Yachts has experienced exponential growth, producing over 1000 boats and capturing the industry's attention with their innovative approach. Now, with the introduction of the Saxdor 400 GTO, Saxdor Yachts aims to make waves in the 40-45 ft sport boat market, leveling up from the game-changing entry-level 200 and mid-range 320 models.Credits: Saxdor Yachts
February 22, 2024
RMK Marine has initiated the construction of its largest explorer yacht, marking a significant milestone in its legacy. The ceremonial keel-laying event for the 65-meter custom explorer, provisionally named ER65, was described by Özgur Numan, the yacht director at RMK Marine, as an emotional affair. Scheduled for launch in 2026, ER65 is poised to become the flagship vessel for RMK Marine.Crafted with a vision for extensive cruising and versatility, ER65 is designed to navigate varied waters with ease. Sporting a sleek and minimalist design, the yacht will embody elegance while adhering to Lloyds ice-class standards, boasting rare Polar Code Category B - Ice Class PC 6 certification.ER65 will feature a helipad equipped with a refueling station and a dedicated tender hangar, including a watertight compartment for a deep-water submarine, accentuating its explorer capabilities. Vancouver-based ER Yacht Design is responsible for the yacht's clean interiors and sophisticated design, with engineering and production design managed by RMK Marine and Eureka Yachts.Ivan Erdevecki, founder of ER Yacht Design, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing the owner's desire for a custom-designed, long-range expedition motor yacht with timeless elegance and style.Photo by Özgür NumanAccommodating 12 guests and a crew of 20 across five decks, ER65 promises a host of amenities, including a library, sauna, gym, massage room, and medical facilities. Alongside its helicopter, the yacht will house two custom-built aluminum expedition tenders, enhancing its operational capabilities.Özgür Numan, yacht department director at RMK Marine, underscored the shipyard's enthusiasm for the project, citing the yacht's elegance and graceful sheer line as captivating features.With ER65's construction underway, RMK Marine continues to solidify its position in the industry, with three yachts, including the 49.9-meter Project Aries, currently in progress.RMK Marine is the Turkey superyacht builder. The shipyard was founded in Halic, Istanbul to construct boats in steel, aluminum, and composite in 1978 joined the Koç Group of Companies in 1997 and was renamed RMK Marine, is located in Tuzla. RMK Marine specializes in building, repairing and maintenance of commercial, naval vessels and super yachts. Credits: RMK Marine
February 22, 2024
Cantiere delle Marche is celebrating yet another significant milestone with the sale of an RJ 102 vessel to an Australian owner. This marks the fifth sale within the first six weeks of 2024, underscoring the company's exceptional commercial success and continued expansion into new markets.The RJ 102, a collaboration between Cantiere delle Marche and Francesco Paszkowski, promises to redefine the standards of superyacht excellence. With its sleek design and advanced hull technology, the vessel offers exceptional speed, stability, and efficiency, ensuring an unparalleled sailing experience.Vasco Buonpensiere, co-founder and CEO of Cantiere delle Marche, expressed his delight at the commercial success achieved by the company, attributing it to their unwavering dedication to excellence and commitment to innovation. He emphasized the importance of the Australian market, highlighting the opening of Cantiere delle Marche Australia as a strategic move that has proven highly successful."This sale gives me the opportunity to underline our exceptional commercial success, a testament to the reputation we have meticulously built over the years through our team's unwavering dedication to excellence. Despite a forecasted yachting market in the first two quarters of the year, we find ourselves propelled forward by a favorable wind. This year, our shipyard confirmed its position as the undisputed world leader in the construction of explorer yachts. It is crucial to emphasize that we build steel vessels, each meticulously tailored to the owner's specifications, setting us apart from mass-produced composite yachts," says Vasco Buonpensiere. The RJ 102 is the latest addition to the RJ family, boasting a well-proportioned, sleek, and elegant profile. Designed to provide ample opportunities for outdoor living, the vessel features large alfresco areas, a pool surrounded by a sundeck area, and spacious toy storage facilities. The interior layout, designed by Giorgio M. Cassetta, is tailored to provide the utmost comfort to owners and guests.Paul Miletta of Cantiere delle Marche Australia expressed his excitement about the new model, highlighting its suitability for owners seeking a true explorer with beautiful lines and the ability to be operated with minimal crew. The RJ 102 is expected to be a game-changer in the Australia and South Pacific region, offering a unique blend of luxury and functionality.With the sale of the RJ 102, Cantiere delle Marche continues to reaffirm its position as a global leader in the construction of explorer yachts, setting new standards of excellence in the industry.CdM's story begins in 2010. The facilities cover an overall surface of 16˙000 square meters, including 7˙000 sq. m of workshops and 1˙000 sq. m of docks. Since 2015, the shipyard has been the world's leading builder of explorer yachts. Based in Ancona, Cantiere delle Marche builds yachts from 26m to 43m in length.Credits: CdM
February 21, 2024


text:
US foundations give millions to Canadian environmental groups
By Dru Oja Jay, the Dominion
Since major foundations in the US began funding environmental groups in the late 1980s, many grassroots environmental activists have sounded the alarm about the rise of the "Big Greens." Featuring six-figure salaries and foundation funding, critics say the large environmental NGOs coopt grassroots movements and excercise control over what issues are brought up.
Recently, some activists are warning of a similar shift in Canada. In 2006, land-use planner Petr Cizek wrote an article for Canadian Dimension, calling attention to millions of dollars from US foundations being given to Canadian environmental groups.
The money comes from the Pew Charitable Trusts, which is endowed by the fortune of Joseph Pew and his heirs, as well as more recent donors. Joseph Pew founded Sun Oil, now Sunoco, a US oil company with revenues of $36 billion in 2006. Under Pew, Sun Oil also founded Suncor, a Canadian counterpart to Sun Oil and currently one of the two largest operations in Alberta's tar sands. Suncor has been independent since 1995.
Sunoco's US refineries process synthetic crude oil from the tar sands. According to a 2004 Philadelphia Inquirer report, a Sunoco-run Ohio refinery processes 100,000 barrels of synthetic crude per day.
The Pew foundation's original mission reflects on "the evils of bureaucracy, the paralyzing effects of government controls on the lives and activities of people, and the values of the free market." Pew money has funded many right-wing Christian groups and conservative think tanks, including the Heritage Foundation, the John Birch Society, and the American Enterprise Institute.
In the early 1990s, the Pew Trusts began funding environmental groups.
Groups in Canada that have received money from the Pew Charitable Trusts via the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI), according to CBI director Larry Innes:
Boreal Forest Network
Center for Science in Public Participation
Ducks Unlimited
David Suzuki Foundation
Ecotrust Canada
Fondation de la faune
Forest Ethics
Forest Stewardship Council of Canada
Global Forest Watch
Manitoba Wildlands
Nature Canada
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Nature Quebec
Ontario Nature
Pembina Institute
Protected Areas Association of Newfoundland & Labrador
Reseau Quebecois Groups des Ecologistes
Saskatchewan Environmental Society
Sierra Legal Defense Fund
Silva Forest Foundation
The Sustainability Network
The Wild Foundation
Western Canada Wilderness Committee
Western Newfoundland Model Forest
Wildlands League
Wildlife Conservation Society
World Wildlife Fund
Yukon Conservation Society
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Bloodvein First Nation
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council
Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources
Dehcho First Nations
Grassy Narrows First Nation
Innu Nation
Kaska Dena Council
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation
Little Grand Rapids First Nation
Little Red River Cree First Nation
Lutsel'ke Dene First Nation
Moose Cree First Nation
Mistissini Cree First Nation
National Aboriginal Forestry Association
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Pauingassi First Nation
Poplar River First Nation
Prince Albert Grand Council
Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta
Treaty 8 Tribal Association (BC)
West Moberly First Nation
Since 2003, Pew has spent about $41 million on programs on the Canadian boreal forest. Much of this money went environmental and aboriginal groups, and came into Canada via through the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI). CBI is technically a project of Ducks Unlimited, a conservation group operating in the US and Canada, though this relationship is not stated in materials on CBI's web site. CBI has no board of directors, and no official status as an organization other than its affiliation with Ducks Unlimited. Critics point out that there that this leaves no mechanism for holding CBI accountable for how it uses its money.
According to Executive Director Larry Innes, CBI gives out approximately $2 million per year, though the figure varies. The money is disbursed in roughly equal measure to conservation NGOs and aboriginal groups. Suncor, among others, is listed as one of CBI's "industry partners."
Does the money have an effect on the groups' agenda? "Our role is convener and talent scout," says Innes. CBI's aim is to be "in a position to advance conservation objectives." In many cases, CBI sets up meetings between industry, aboriginal groups and conservationists in order to establish common priorities.
Lindsay Telfer, director of the Sierra Club's Prairie Region, which has received CBI funding in the past, says that groups need to be careful with funding sources.
"Is there a risk that some environmental groups are going to go down a more conservative path because they get funding? I don't doubt that," Telfer told the Dominion. "We have to keep our eyes on our mandates and our goals."
"I believe I've lost funding because of our positions on the tar sands, but where I've lost it, I've picked it up in other places," says Telfer. "It's a difficult debate, because in some ways all money is dirty money."
"The question to ask is, 'Are there ties to how that money is being spent?'"
Cizek says his critique of Pew funding "doesn't have to do with whether money is tainted, but whether a funder directly interferes with the agenda of an environmental organization."
"The Pew Charitable Trusts have consistently set up front groups" that act as a drag on the overall demands of environmental groups, Cizek says.
He sees a "pattern of funding from CBI" corresponding to "a pattern of incredible timidity among the mainstream environmental organizations, who don't seem to be able to take a principled stand on anything." Cizek notes that Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), two major recipients of CBI funding listed as "partners" in CBI's TV ads, have taken a "low-hanging fruit" strategy of lobbying for protection of areas that are of little interest to industry.
Innes says CBI was founded to address a "tremendous opportunity to do development differently in Canada." The opportunity, Innes say, is the culmination of a series of trends in conservation work: the recognition of treaty rights, the willingness of some corporations to embrace "sustainable practices," and the trend among conservationists to protect entire areas instead of chasing biodiversity "hotspots".
"It's one thing to walk in as an environmental group" and speak to policymakers, says Innes, "and another thing to walk in as an environmental group, shoulder to shoulder with First Nations and industry representatives and saying, 'we've got a solution.'"
The CBI is "pretty up-front about wanting to protect at least half of Canada's boreal, and do responsible management where development is going to occur," says Innes.
It's this industry-friendly approach to conservation that many activists object to. The problem with the consensus-building approach, critics say, is that avoiding conflict with corporations means that the fundamental problems with mining or logging that provoked popular resistance in the first place are not addressed.
"In the 1970s and 1980s a vibrant, truly grassroots public land protection movement emerged--first in the West and then nation-wide," writes Felice Pace of Oregon's Ancient Forest Campaign in a 2004 article. "During the 1990s Pew, with support from other foundations, moved decisively to control this movement."
"Pew favors concentrating on 'low hanging fruit,'" writes Pace. "That is, wilderness areas which local congressmen and senators are eager to support because they are not controversial."
In his 1996 book Washington Babylon, US-based author Alex Cockburn noted that "the Pew Trusts' endowment is wisely invested in the very corporations that a vigorous environmental movement would adamantly be opposing."
"In its initial National Forest Campaign, Pew demanded that recipients of grant money agree to focus their attention on government actions; corporate wrongdoers were not to be named. This extreme plan was modified after some recipients balked."
Cockburn writes that just one of the Pew Trusts made $205 million in "investment income" in 1993 from investments in companies like Weyerhaeuser, International Paper, and Atlantic Richfield. Cockburn notes that at the time this was "six times as large as all of Pew's environmental dispensations." Today, however, Pew is reportedly not as heavily invested in resources extraction.
A more recent attempt at cooperation between industry, First Nations and environmentalists in British Columbia has recently drawn the ire of grassroots activists. In 2006, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network and ForestEthics celebrated a major agreement for the preservation of the Great Bear Rainforest. A year later, however, logging companies have ramped up clearcut logging to levels that are "unprecedented in 15 years," in order to gather as much timber as possible before the agreement takes effect in 2009. To make matters worse, "ecosystem-based management" techniques named in the agreement have yet to be defined. Meanwhile, environmental groups agreed to stop the direct action campaign that had previously halted logging, enabling the sped-up clearcutting to continue unimpeded.
"We've found organized, institutional environmentalism has failed over the last four years to accomplish anything," Nuxalk hereditary chief Qwatsinas told the Dominion earlier this year. (See A Clearcut Answer?) "The successes have come from individual grassroots efforts that have basically bypassed the entrenched, bureaucratic, environmental institutions that have been sucking up the enviro-buck and just not getting the kind of accomplishments we need."
Cizek agrees. "In the US," he says, "it has been pointed out that the organizations that are taking a principled stand are the community organizations, the ones whose neighbourhoods are being destroyed." The "Big Greens," says Cizek, often serve to tell local groups that they're asking the impossible, but when proven wrong, take credit for their achievements.
"And they often win the biggest victories."
"Victories," says Cizek, "will not be achieved in Washington, DC, or in Ottawa. They will be achieved on the front lines. The people on the front lines are the ones who are under attack directly. They're not policy wonks trying to figure out what public opinion will tolerate. For them, it's a matter of survival, in many cases it's a matter of life or death."
When discussing the tar sands, Cizek says that the groups receiving CBI funding have been extremely timid. CPAWS, WWF, Pembina, the Sierra Club and others signed a statement calling for a "carbon neutral" tar sands by 2020 through the purchase of "carbon offsets," but said nothing about slowing down or stopping tar sands development itself. A short time later, the Sierra Club called for a moratorium on tar sands development. But it was only after arch-conservative former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed called for a moratorium that CPAWS and Pembina followed suit. WWF Canada has remained silent, though its UK counterpart has recently called for a moratorium.
"To their utter embarassment, the big greens found themselves trailing far behind the curve of public opinion," says Cizek, "and had to scramble to catch up." But the moratorium on new developments, according to Cizek, still does not address the damage that will be done to the water and land by operations that have already been approved.
CPAWS did not respond to an interview request, and a WWF representative declined to be interviewed.
"This is a very high-level political process that's going on," he adds. "This is about cutting closed back-room deals at the very political top, and allowing the environmentalists to achieve some concessions through dealings at the political top to manage their dissent into appropriate channels, so that the industries maintain their right to operate."
Sierra Club's Lindsay Telfer says that too much time is spent denouncing others within environmental and social justice circles. "That's something I've always found frustrating--divisiveness," says Telfer. "I'm more than supportive of other groups that call for more than what the Sierra Club calls for."
Telfer also comes to the defense of those who call for less. "I don't buy into the arguments that CBI is all bad, that Pew is all bad," says Telfer. "I try not to get involved in the infighting." She says she would take money from the CBI in the future if it fits the needs of a particular campaign. "If we're fundraising for a project that has specific goals, I'll take money from people who support those goals," though she adds that the Sierra Club has strict standards concerning who it accepts money from.
Cizek sees a need for a "profound dialogue about the democratic and non-democratic aspects of environmental organizations." Many environmental organizations are private non-profits with few accountability mechanisms. The WWF, for example, has only subscribers, no members. The Pembina Institute, he says, takes money directly from oil companies, to which it sells carbon credits. The Sierra Club is "one of the more democratic of these environmental organizations," he says, and that is "perhaps why they were able to initially take a more principled stand" on projects like the tar sands and the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline.
But he emphasizes that "it's not about quibbling about calling for a moratorium or a shut down," but "what were the processes by which you came to this point, and how might your funders have influenced this decision? What do they actually expect to settle for?"
"Do they actually believe in this insane program of the tar sands becoming carbon neutral by purchasing carbon offsets?," he asks, referring to a statement signed by several groups before Lougheed called for a moratorium.
The CBI's Larry Innes says that the issue of accountability is "an interesting question." His response to it is candid.
"We're accountable to those people who write us a cheque every year," says Innes. "If we don't achieve the kind of goals that they're interested in spending their money on, the funding stops."
For Innes, "a more interesting question is why we need US funding at all. Why is the environmental movement in Canada so small and poorly funded? Where is all the Canadian money? Why aren't Canadian philanthropists (with a few notable exceptions) investing in Canada's environmental and social justice movements?"
Depending on which explanation of foundation funding one finds more convincing, what CBI is accountable for accomplishing and why Canadians aren't providing the same levels of funding to conservationists will have very different answers.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Oil boom severely straining North Dakota economy
A record amount of oil is flowing out of western North Dakota, and unprecedented money is flowing into the state.
The state starts the new year with a budget surplus of $800 million and growing. Income per person in North Dakota is now above the U.S. average for the first time since the 1970s.
But despite the apparent good news, the growth is causing severe strains in the state's economy.
North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness did not anticipate the level of spending by oil companies.
Grow the Future of Public Media
MPR News is supported by Members. Gifts from individuals power everything you find here. Make a gift of any amount today to become a Member!
"The investment we have seen over the past 18 months has just completely been staggering," Ness said.
Ness said that investment includes $3 billion in natural gas pipelines, $1 billion in oil pipelines, and more than $1 billion a month drilling new oil wells.
About 200 rigs are drilling new oil wells in North Dakota. The state is producing 500,000 barrels of oil a day. This year, North Dakota will likely move into second place among oil-producing states, behind Texas.
Rapid growth in oil drilling brought calls for stronger regulation of the industry.
This year the state of North Dakota plans to implement about two dozen new regulations which Ness said will cost the oil industry $400 million a year.
"It's very significant," Ness said. "The biggest changes we've maybe ever seen in North Dakota in terms of regulatory action. Industry has essentially acknowledged that we can accept those because as activity changes, regulations have to change with that."
The Environmental Protection Agency is also considering new regulations on hydraulic fracturing to protect water supplies. Fracking is a critical part of recovering oil in North Dakota.
State officials say in North Dakota, fracking happens two miles below the surface, far from any groundwater. The state Legislature set aside $1 million to sue the EPA if new regulations adversely affect the oil industry.
Oil is not the biggest economic sector in North Dakota. Agriculture still accounts for about one-third of economic activity, compared to about one-quarter for energy.
But David Flynn, director of the University of North Dakota Bureau of Business and Economic Research, said the growth in the energy sector is fundamentally changing the state's economy.
He said oil towns like Williston are growing beyond anyone's expectations.
"We could talk about triple-digit growth in retail sales in some quarters," Flynn said. "It's incredible the level of growth that they have been seeing in the last couple of years. I don't think anybody would have necessarily predicted it."
Flynn said that rapid growth has the thrown the economy out of equilibrium. He said high demand combined with a serious shortage of workers is putting a lot of pressure on businesses.
"McDonald's is paying $10, $12, $15 an hour. Mall food courts can't open until 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon when high school students get out of class," he said. "You're seeing a real issue with labor supply in western North Dakota."
The state allocated nearly $1 billion for infrastructure, like roads damaged by heavy energy-related truck traffic. Counties struggle to find enough workers to build or repair roads because they can't compete with the paychecks workers earn in the oil field.
Flynn said it will likely take three to five years for any kind of economic balance to return to the oil patch.
The problems have spread to the housing sector. While home prices continue falling nationally, Flynn said rents in the North Dakota oil patch have tripled in some areas.
Those rent increases are forcing some longtime local residents who don't work in the oil industry out of their homes.
Vickie Steiner, executive director of the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties, said people are living in campers and cars because there are simply not enough homes or apartments.
"The housing market is struggling to catch up," Steiner said. "I would say in 2012 we're still probably going to see that problem, just because of the sheer numbers of people moving into the area."
Steiner said there are lots of downsides to the huge economic opportunity that comes with an oil boom. Communities struggle with the frenetic pace of growth. Crime rises, and so does uncertainty.
Like many western North Dakota residents, Steiner has seen oil booms before. She remembers the most recent oil boom that busted in the 1980s.
"My husband and I personally lost a little bit of money during that oil bust ourselves," she said. "You still remember the sting of the last oil bust, but I think definitely the longer it's here the more confidence we have with it."
Steiner said 2012 is likely to be a year of hanging on for the ride as this oil boom heads into uncharted territory.


text:
Mission accomplished!
While the rest of the Sons have been watching the wonders of small sample size manifest itself in the form of Mark Hendrickson's pitching line (sounds like the Infinite Monkey Theorem at work to me), the littlest Lasorda and I went deep into enemy territory to check out the ballpark and do a little advance scouting on two division opponents: the D'backs (hmmm, sounds like D'Vaughn should be playing CF for them, no?) and (obviously) the Padres.
While I won't bore you with the details of the game (after all, when you see Jake Peavy hit one triple, you've seen them all), I thought I'd share a couple of the differences between a trip to the Doghouse (I mean, Petco Park? Really. How droll.) and Dodger Stadium.
1. Parking. At least the San Diegans get it. If you have a ballpark in a downtown setting, you don't need acres of parking. While most of the lots were private (and charging $20), we were able to park the Lasordamobile on the street and plug the meter. Even parking a few blocks further, I think we would still be closer than those lots beyond the Think Blue sign at Chavez.
2. Bleachers. The bleachers at Petco are actually more like concrete amphitheater rows, sort of like the ones at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, with some grass planted in the walkways and a huge sandbox/play area for kids to play while the adults get their drink on and cheer for the home team (or, in my case, lustily yell for Peavy to blow out his elbow). Decidedly more kid friendly than dodging a few beachballs on the hot aluminum seats.
3. Food. Apparently, the concept of haute ballpark food for the good jarheads of San Diego encompasses bratwurst, pulled pork sanwiches, and fish tacos. What, no sommelier? Call me a traditionalist, but a ballpark needs to provide a decent dog, you know?
In all fairness, I think the McCourts could learn a thing or two from that team down to the south (no, further south than Anaheim), however, I don't want them to read this and think that trying to build a new ballpark closer to Staples Center is the right idea. Frank and Jamie just need to provide better options for transportation and family amenities, and stop trying to supersize the masses with the Olmedo Saenz Pavilion to Gluttony while downsizing their wallets by charging more for parking.
Has anyone had similar experiences (good or bad) at other ballparks?


text:
A Tenth Planet? Or Just Eight?
In 2003 the dating of an Ethiopian Homo sapiens fossil, "Herto Man," was hailed as a milestone in paleoanthropology. At 160,000 years old, Herto Man was a full 50,000 years older than any anatomically modern human ever discovered. But now, just two years later, Herto Man has already been replaced as humanity's forefather. And he was dethroned by a couple of skull fossils that have been kicking around, virtually ignored, for the last 40 years.
The skulls, called Omo I and Omo II, were discovered back in 1967 by paleontologist Richard Leakey, near the Omo River in southern Ethiopia. They were thought to be about 130,000 years old, but their dating was not considered definitive. Nor was their age a particularly burning issue at the time—when Leakey discovered the Omo skulls, he had been in hot pursuit of evidence of our earliest, prehuman ancestors, who preceded Homo sapiens by millions of years. As paleontologist John Fleagle of Stony Brook University put it, "The fact of the matter is, they wanted early hominids; modern humans were like chump change."
In the last several years, however, Fleagle and other researchers determined that the Omo skulls were worth another look. With the help of the latest dating technology, they announced in February that the skulls were an astonishing 195,000 years old, more than 65,000 years older than Herto. After four decades as a side show to Leakey's more spectacular discoveries, the Omo skulls have gone from "chump change" to our most revered elders. Omo is oldest, and Herto is history.
But does age really matter? In this case, it does in fact represent more than just paleontological one-upsmanship. The recalibration of the Omo fossils' ages was not simply undertaken because new technology made it possible, but because pinpointing the age of the earliest humans contributes important evidence to the "Out of Africa" theory—the debate over whether humanity originated in Africa and then migrated to other parts of the world, or whether, according to the subscribers of the multiregionalist theory, Homo sapiens developed independently in various parts of the world. The new dating of Omo, Fleagle contends, "places the first appearance of modern Homo sapiens in Africa many more thousands of years before our species appears on any other continent." The age of Herto strongly buttressed the "Out of Africa" case two years ago—that's why it was considered such a significant find. Given that the Omo skulls are 65,000 years older, they increase the gap between the emergence of humans in Africa and the much later Homo sapiens fossils found elsewhere in the world.
The Softer Side of T. Rex
In March paleontologists discovered the existence of soft tissue in a 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil. An unprecedented find in a prehistoric creature—scientists had assumed no such tissue could survive more than 100,000 years—the soft tissue included cells and blood vessels.
The discovery was a serendipitous one. Because this T. rex fossil was located in a remote part of Montana (the Hell Creek formation, where about two dozen species of dinosaurs have been found) the fossil had to be removed by helicopter. According to paleontologist Jack Horner, who participated in the excavation, "we actually had to split the thighbone into two pieces to get it into the helicopter." When his colleague Mary Schweitzer later examined the hollow cavity of the broken bone in her North Carolina State University lab, she discovered the pliable tissue. Scientists predict the soft tissue will provide a gold mine of information about the physiology of dinosaurs.
Examination of the soft tissue has already yielded several exciting revelations. The tissue included medullary bone, a calcium-enriched substance temporarily present when birds are ready to produce eggshells and lay eggs. Not only does the presence of medullary bone reveal that this particular T. rex was female (paleontologists have never before determined the sex of a dinosaur), but the existence of medullary tissue also supports the widely held theory that modern birds descended from dinosaurs. According to Schweitzer, it "links the reproductive physiology of dinosaurs to birds very closely. It indicates that dinosaurs produced and shelled their eggs much more like modern birds than like modern crocodiles." Horner commented that "this is another piece to the puzzle and there are a lot of them. Anyone who would argue that birds and dinosaurs are not related—frankly, I'd put them in the Flat Earth Society group. "
Mind over Matter
In 2001 Matt Nagle, a 25-year-old former football star from Weymouth, Mass., was stabbed in an unprovoked fight that severed his spinal cord. Paralyzed from the neck down, he lost even the ability to breathe on his own. But over the last year, this quadriplegic has performed a seemingly supernatural feat: he can control machines through his thoughts. Thanks to a chip implanted in his brain, Nagle has the ability to convey simple, motor-related thoughts to a computer, which then carries out his actions. He can now change channels on his TV, turn lights on and off, and play computer games simply by thinking about doing these things. In early 2005 he became the first human to reach and grasp objects using an artificial hand by thinking about moving his own paralyzed hand.
In June 2004 surgeons implanted a sensor called the Braingate Neural Interface System in the part of Nagle's brain that controls motor activity. Braingate channels the electrical signals from the brain that normally move through the spinal cord—which in Nagle's case is irreparably damaged—and sends them to wires attached to his skull. The wires convey the brain signals to a computer, which then interprets them and carries out the task.
Nagle is one of the pioneers in the exploding field of neuro-cybernetics, the science of using machines to carry out commands of the human brain. But he was not the first to turn his thoughts into action. Since 1996, a number of paralyzed patients have learned to move a computer cursor and even type messages—albeit laboriously—just by thinking about doing so. In the mid-1990s only a handful of labs were devoted to developing brain-machine interface (BMI) technology; today there are more then 60 labs throughout the world. Some are exploring systems that detect brain waves from outside the body; others, like Braingate, work with brain implants. Some of the most promising experiments have benefitted patients with "locked-in" syndrome—their brain functions normally but they've been robbed of all muscle control. BMI technology has allowed them to use their thoughts to regain rudimentary communication with the outside world.
The lead scientist on the Braingate experiment, John Donoghue of Brown University, believes that Nagle—and eventually other paralyzed people—will eventually regain some control over their environments through BMI technology. Ultimately, Donoghue hopes they'll regain control over their paralyzed limbs. "The technology required is very complex. There are still many issues to be resolved. But it's here. It's going to happen. Just look at Matt." This year four more volunteers will be added to the Braingate study, and researchers eventually hope to make the implant wireless. At the moment, Nagle can only use the BMI equipment a few times a week because it requires the help of technicians.
The researchers were fortunate to have selected the enormously resolute and optimistic Nagle as their first volunteer. Nagle had to spend months practicing intensively before the computers responded properly to his brain waves. And not only was there the real possibility that he might spend fruitless years involved in a failed experiment, but the brain implant also involved the risk of physical damage and psychiatric problems. "My mother was scared of what might happen, but what else can they do to me?" Nagle commented. "I was in a corner, and I had to come out fighting."
Earthlings Attack Comet
For the past 138 years, since its discovery in 1867, Comet Tempel 1 has had distant but harmonious relations with the inhabitants of planet Earth. But on July 4, somewhere between Mars and Jupiter, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft blasted a gaping hole into the comet. The crash emitted the energy of 4.5 tons of TNT, releasing a tremendous plume of dust and gases. "There is a comet up in the sky wondering, what in the heck just happened," commented Charles Elachi, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In an astonishingly tricky mission, Deep Impact traveled 268 million miles over six months to wreak havoc on the comet. According to NASA scientist Don Yeomans, "We hit it just exactly where we wanted to." More than 80 million people visited the NASA website in the 24 hours following the blast to witness the cosmic fireworks.
NASA assures us that there is, in fact, something scientifically redeemable about such violence. After our Sun and planets formed 4.6 billion years ago, comets were believed to have been formed out of the remaining dust and gases. By blasting a crater into the surface of Tempel 1 and uncovering its pristine interior, scientists hope to examine the primordial remnants of our solar system to gain insight into its formation. Some data is already available (for example, comets, once thought to resemble "dirty snowballs," are in fact more like "snowy dirtballs"), but it will take years until the more significant findings become available.
A Tenth Planet? Or Just Eight?
In recent years astronomers have discovered that our solar system is a great deal more crowded than we imagined. In 2004 alone, a dozen new moons circling Saturn were identified. Today's sophisticated telescopes have also uncovered a host of large objects inhabiting the frozen edges of our solar system—Varuna (2000), Ixion (2001), Quaoar (2002), and Sedna (2004) are among the most spectacular of what are called Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO), masses of rock and ice that appear beyond Neptune.
But just when we've grown accustomed, perhaps even a little jaded, by the steady parade of new moons and KBOs discovered each year, astronomers have succeeded in truly rattling our notion of the solar system: in July 2005 the California Institute of Technology and NASA announced the existence of a tenth planet. About 9 billion miles from the Sun resides 2003 UB313, estimated to be about one-and-a-half times the size of Pluto. "We are 100% confident that this is the first object bigger than Pluto ever found in the outer solar system," said Caltech astronomer Michael A. Brown, one of the three scientists responsible for the discovery.
The assertion of a tenth planet, however, is not without controversy, reviving the debate about what defines a planet and again calling into question whether the diminutive Pluto fits the bill. Some scientists consider the newly discovered object—along with Pluto—nothing more than a glorified Kuiper Belt Object. Alan Boss, a planet-formation theorist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, contends that "to just call them planets does an injustice to the big guys in the solar system." But Brown maintains, "Pluto has been a planet for so long that the world is comfortable with that. It seems to me a logical extension that anything bigger than Pluto and farther out is a planet." When this long-standing controversy is finally resolved, it seems we will have either ten planets in our solar system, or just eight.
Given that 2003 UB313 is significantly larger than Pluto, why did it take so long to discover? According to Brown, its orbit lies 45 degrees from the plane on which the nine planets orbit the Sun, and until now "nobody look[ed] that high up in the sky." The object is so bright that even amateur astronomers can spot it fairly easily.
The object was first identified on Jan. 8, 2005, and Brown and his team had planned on announcing the discovery once they had accumulated more definitive data on the object's size, mass, and composition. But when someone hacked the team's website, threatening to preempt them, Brown and the others rushed to get the news out on July 29. Brown has already submitted a name for the planet to the International Astronomical Union, but he plans to keep it a secret until it is officially accepted.


text:
Mini tattoo power supply, switching power supply,tattoo machine power supply
Basic Info
Model No.: TTS-201
Product Description
Product Description Features:
This is a new mini tattoo power of new generation with small metal case just like a cigar case
It is made with elite technique. You can set the voltage accurately and adjust the voltage freely below 18volts.
It is applicable for all kinds of tattoo machine and a perfect tool for tattooist
Exquisite workmanship and easy to carry
Rated Input Volt:100-240V AC 50/60Hz
Input Volt Range:90—264V AC 50/60Hz
Input Current: 0.5A max
Output Volt Range: 0-18V DC ±2%
Output can be set as need within the range
Output Current: 1.5A (max)
Case Material: Metal
Size: L10cm*W7.0cm*H2.5cm Net Weight: 1KG Attentions:
Please use the machine within the range, if it does not work, please check the input and output line
Please do not load pressure, fall or plunge, please stop use it if the case malformed.
Risk of high voltage, not dispatch FAQ
How to order products? |
If you are satisfaction of our products,please don`t hesitate to contact with us.we will make invoice for you,after confrim everything and we get payment,will sent out within 3-7days.then,give you the tracking number. |
Is OEM/ODM service acceptable? |
yes,we have acceptable.Customer can tell us the detail and we will according to customer requirements to make plan.but we need quantity. |
What kindly of shipping way and payment way acceptable? |
The shipping way we have DHL,EMS,UPS,FEDEX and China post air.The payment we have T/T,Western Union and Paypal. |
What`s the minimum order quantity(MOQ)? |
Even though you purachse 1 pc,we also can offer wholesale price for you. |
What is the warranty of your products? |
we warranty is 1 year. |
1,we can shipping by express(EMS,DHL,UPS,Fedex) Or by sea.also if you want we can shipping by China post air mail(can`t over 2KG)
2,if we have stock we will sent out within 2days when we get your payment.Generally speaking,we need 7-10days to prepare products,if there are don`gt have any accident.
3,when we sent our quotation to you,the price is not including custom tax and shipping fee.
4,we accepting T/T,Paypal,western union. Company Information More Details: Shenzhen XiQi XinHuan Technology Co.,LTD is professional Permanent Makeup Machine,tattoo machine,tattoo gun,permanent makeup & Tattoo Needles,
tattoo grips,Tattoo Accessories,Permanent Makeup Power Supply,tattoo power supply stc. In many countries and regions, we take customers' experience feelings in the first place. Moreover, we aim at proving good quality products and high level of after-sale service. Related Products Contact us Name:Roslyn Shenzhen XiQi XinHuan Technology Co., LTD ADD:Dapotou Compiex building 13F B3,Shuijing community,Buji street,Longgang district,Shenzhen city,China
Tell:+0086 -13476880462 Whatsapp:+86 13691971623 Skype:emilyxiao77 Web:http://xiqixinhuan.en.alibaba.com Cultural Origin Tattoo Cultural Origin 1,Brief introduction of tattoo The earliest tattoos on actual human body could be dated back to 2000 B.C in Egypt and were present on several females. But the recent discovery of the Iceman from the area of the Italian-Austrian border, who had tattoo patterns, make it go back to around 5,200 B.C. In fact, there are many modern practioners in Japan whose tattoos can be called real works. While, Samoa tattooists created their perfect tattoos without modern tattooing equipment. Various cultures also could be found on African tattoos. In many cases, tattoos as a permanent way to place protective or therapeutic symbols on the body are very popular; It is also a means to make people out into appropriate social, political or religious groups, or simple as a form of self-expression or fashion statement. 2,Development of tattoo Today tattoo have begun to appeal to people from every walk of life. Because of the increasing number of tattoo ink, the entering of excellent artist and the rising number of celebrities having tattoos, tattoos have become more socially acceptable. Since 1980s, tattooing has emerged anew in the USA as a wildly appealing cultural, artistic and social form. The weakness of the working-class tattooing make it more palatable for middle-class. Now a completely new set of meanings, with an exotic, primitive flavor, came into being. As tattoos have become more socially acceptable, more people would like to scrutinize every little inking and puncture of their favorite stars. It were the British upper class who made tattoos fashionable in the late 1800s in West. Family crests and other small signets were popular on forearms. What is often considered a tattoo Renaissance began in the 1960s, with Western artist Sailor Jack corresponding with Japanese tattooists, and soon-to-be-tattooist Ed Hardy getting a fine art degree. As surely as the ideas of art and tattoo finally fused, so did tattoo and celebrity. More often, you may find tattoos are more popular with athletes than actors. When someone has different tattoos he may transform into a different character. That is why some actors wear tattoos for specific characters. Actually, rock bands accept tattoos early. Such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rose Tattoo and Biohazard. Sports Illustrated noted: "Tattoos have become the sport's world's most flaunted form of self-expression. Ten years ago, only boxers or wrestlers had visible tattoos; today, they are everywhere, in every sport." In 1997,when it conducted a preseason survey of all 29 NBA teams, the Associated Press reported that 35.1% of all NBA players had tattoos. Beside raising the visibility of tattoos, they also have had a major impact on the nature of the tattoo business and created a new market for high-end custom tattoo art studios. "Coming to a Bicep Near You: Tattoo Advertising Can Be Next in the NBA" Contact us if you need more details on Power Supply Switching. We are ready to answer your questions on packaging, logistics, certification or any other aspects about Rotary Tattoo Power Supply、Tattoo Machine Power Supplies. If these products fail to match your need, please contact us and we would like to provide relevant information.
Product Categories : Tattoo Power Supply
Premium Related Products


text:
Network Layer/Internet Protocols
You will learn about the following in this chapter:
- IP operation, fields and functions
- Fragmentation and reassembly of datagrams
- ICMP messages and meanings
IP (Internet Protocol) does most of the work in the TCP/IP protocol suite. All protocols and applications within the TCP/IP suite run on top of IP and utilize it for logical Network layer addressing and transmission of datagrams between internet hosts. IP maps to the Internet layer of the DoD and to the Network layer of the OSI models. ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is considered an integral part of IP and uses IP for its datagram delivery; we will discuss ICMP later in this chapter. Figure 3.1 shows how IP maps to the DoD and OSI models.
How Do I Buy a Ticket on the IP Train?
The phrase "runs on top of" might sound as if an application or protocol is buying a ticket to ride on an IP train. This term is not restricted to IP. In reality, it is industry jargon used to describe any upper-layer protocol or application coming down the OSI model and utilizes another lower-layer protocol's features (in this case IP at the Network layer).
IP provides an unreliable, connectionless datagram delivery service, which means that IP does not guarantee that an IP datagram successfully reaches its destination; rather it provides best effort of delivery, which means it sends it out and hopes it gets there. IP simply adds logical source and destination network layer addresses and delivers the datagram relying on other layers to guarantee it gets to its destination. If there is a problem with delivery, IP relies on ICMP to send messages when it encounters an error. When IP encounters an error in delivery, it simply trashes the datagram, causing an ICMP message to be sent to the source host detailing what kind of delivery problem occurred. IP relies on upper layers to provide reliability; for example, TCP (which will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 8, "Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)").
Figure 3.1 IP provides logical addressing and connectionless delivery of datagrams for all protocols within the TCP/IP suite.
The Internet Protocol's primary function is logical network layer addressing of hosts and delivery of information in the form of datagrams between hosts. IP addressing is discussed in detail in Chapter 2, "IP Addressing." IP also performs other important functions such as fragmentation and reassembly, which are necessary when datagrams are too large to be sent by a source host and must be broken up into smaller datagrams. Because IP is connectionless it does not require a connection between hosts. It does not sequence, acknowledge, or control the flow of data between hosts. IP treats each datagram as a separate entity; it merely addresses the datagram and sends it out, hoping it reaches the destination.
IP receives a stream of data from UDP or TCP, breaks up this information into chunks, and addresses and packages each piece as a datagram, which then can be sent to a destination host across the network. Routers and routing protocols determine the path selection between a source and destination, which we discuss in more detail in Chapters 5, "IP Routing" and 6, "Routing Protocols."
RFC 791 defines IP, and its fields and functionality. In this chapter we will look at an IP header and its fields and examine the other protocols that reside on the Internet layer. We will discuss IP routing in Chapters 5 and 6.
IP Header
Figure 3.2 shows the format of an IP datagram as defined by RFC 791. An IP header contains a minimum of 20 bytes, unless options are present. Figure 3.3 shows an IP header as seen through a Sniffer protocol analyzer. We will describe each field after the figures.
Figure 3.2 The Internet Protocol header provides for identification of logical source and destination network addresses.
Figure 3.3 Note the Ethertype value contained within the DLC (Data Link Control) header states that protocol type 0x0800 or IP is the protocol being carried within this frame.
Take a look at the IP header in Figure 3.3. The first field is the version type, which should always be version 4, the official standard. This is followed by the header length, indicating the size of the IP header as 20 bytes. Type of service (ToS) values follow. Most often the ToS value, as in this case, will have a value of zero because ToS is seldom used. However, this trend is changing as ToS becomes more understood and more vendors implement it successfully in their products. New applications capable of setting these bits to influence a router's routing of datagrams are emerging. This allows them to request from routers a certain level of ToS service for transmitted data.
The total length of the datagram is 40 bytes, which includes the IP header and data being carried within the frame. The IP ID value given to this datagram is 25276. Note that in the Flags field the datagram can be fragmented if necessary, and that this is the last fragment. Because the fragment offset has a value of zero, we can deduce that this is the first, last, and only fragment within the stream.
The TTL value currently is set to 59 seconds, which is the amount of time left for this datagram to live on the internetwork. The next protocol being carried within the frame is TCP. IP uses the checksum value to identify frame damage. The sending host's logical IP address is 22.214.171.124 and the destination host's address is 22.214.171.124.
The value within the 4-bit version field identifies the version of IP being implemented. This value will always be version 4. It is the most current and popular version of IP.
Internet Header Length
The 4-bit header length field identifies the size of the IP header in 32-bit words. All IP headers must have a minimum of 20 bytes in size unless additional options are implemented and specified within the option field, which we will discuss later in the "Type of Service" section of this chapter.
Type of Service
The ToS bits (8 total bits) within the IP header can influence the path datagrams take when being forwarded by routers from source to destination. ToS bits allow upper applications and processes to indicate the type of quality or service they require from a router. Until recently, the use of the ToS bits has been nonexistent. However, many companies now implement them to facilitate more intelligent path selection. If ToS has not been implemented, this field will have a value of zero. Because the use of ToS is uncommon, zero is an expected value. RFC's 1340 and 1349 describe the specific use and functions of these bits. The following explains the various ToS bits.
Bits 02: Precedence Bits
Bits 02, known as precedence bits, when used in the following combinations mean different things, and typically only the government uses these implementations to define the importance of a datagram. This value uses the options field within the IP header, discussed later in this chapter, to further describe the type of precedence requested. The precedence value typically describes the type of security levels requested defined by the Defense Intelligence Agency. Table 3.1 describes the various precedence bits set.
Table 3.1 Bits 02 = Precedence
Bit Position |
Description |
000 |
Routine information |
001 |
Priority information |
010 |
Immediate delivery |
011 |
Flash |
100 |
Flash override |
101 |
Critical information |
110 |
Internetwork control |
111 |
Network control |
Until recently most applications did not support or use precedence bits. However, they comply with governmental network implementations, which require multilevel security functions. No further discussion of these bits will follow. Precedence is described in further detail in Chapter 8. The organization that chooses to implement these bit must specifically define the precedence bits, and their use and meanings.
The next three ToS bits are the most commonly used for influencing traffic patterns.
Bit 3
Bit 3 can have one of two values:
0 = Normal delay
1 = Low delay
Delay is based on the end-to-end propagation delay of data transmitted over a link. When multiple paths exist to a destination, an application can direct routers en route to select the path with the least delaya faster path.
Bit 4
Bit 4 can have one of two values:
0 = Normal throughput
1 = High throughput
When an application requires a path to a destination that offers high throughput rates, it sets the throughput bit to 1. Routers forward traffic along paths that support the highest possible data rate, measured as the bandwidth capacity of a link between source and destination.
Bit 5
Bit 5 can have one of two values:
0 = Normal reliability
1 = High reliability
Routers measure a link's reliability by the number of errors encountered and lost datagrams it experiences when forwarding or receiving across an interface. If multiple paths exist and one appears to be more reliable than the other, a router forwards traffic for applications, setting the reliability bit to 1 across this interface. Critical applications that cannot tolerate data loss may request this type of service.
Bits 6 and 7 (Reserved)
Bits 6 and 7 are reserved and not currently used.
Upper-layer applications or processes can request for routers to deliver their data along paths that meet their service requirements. For ToS delivery to work all routers and routing protocols within the path from source to destination must understand, and be configured to forward datagrams based on the ToS designation. Not all routing protocols understand these bits. The following routing protocols understand ToS:
The following protocols do not understand ToS:
RIP v1
RIP v2
Although a routing protocol might have the capability to understand and act upon these bits, it still requires configuration. If someone has not configured the router to support ToS, it simply ignores this information and forwards the datagram the best it can. Let's look at an example of how ToS works. When an application requests datagrams to be sent through a low delay path, it sets bit 3 to a value of 1. Routers along the path attempt to send datagrams across links offering faster transmissions, such as 100Mb Ethernet versus slower WAN links. Keep in mind that delay is measured by the round-trip propagation delay across the link. Therefore, a link with a lower delay would be the preferred path.
High throughput translates to high-capacity links, which have the capability to carry larger amounts of data in a shorter time frame. This is useful for large file transfers. Routers measure the capacity of a link in terms of bandwidth, which is the transfer rate in bits across the interface. For example, an Ethernet 100Mbps link carries 100 million bits per second, which is faster than a 10Mbps (10 million bit per second) interface. If reliability is the objective, such as the case in an application performing critical processes or requiring security, an application _can request a more reliable transmission path by setting bit 5 to a value of 1. This might be a transaction-based processing application, which requires access to a company's fault-tolerant backbone.
It is very important to understand that by setting these bits, you change the way routers route traffic. Without a thorough understanding of the types of protocols, applications, traffic flows and protocol timers within your network, this manipulation could have catastrophic results. It is imperative that you baseline your network thoroughly before attempting to implement them. When properly used, they can dramatically increase the performance of your network and network applications.
Total Length
The 2-byte total length field within the IP header defines the length in bytes of the entire IP datagram. This value includes the IP header and data being carried within the datagram.
The sender gives each IP datagram an ID value prior to transmission, which is found in the 2-byte identification field. This ID uniquely identifies a datagram or stream of datagrams. The destination host uses this ID to reassemble the datagrams received. When a source host's IP process receives a large stream of contiguous data from UDP or TCP for datagram packaging, it breaks up this stream (fragmentation) when it receives a packet that is too large for the transmission medium. IP then assigns all datagrams belonging to the stream the same ID.
When transmitted from source to destination, datagrams can take different paths with widely varying characteristics, causing them to arrive out of order. The destination host uses this ID to recognize that all the datagrams belong to a stream. It then reassembles them in the correct order based on the fragment offset value, which we will explain later in this section.
Bit 0 = Reserved. Must be a value of zero.
Bit 1 = Can have one of two values:
0 = May Fragment
1 = Don't Fragment
The 3-bit flags field is used on hosts and gateways for fragmentation purposes. If a host or a gateway supports fragmentation, it can break a stream of data into smaller pieces before transmission. If it does not support fragmentation (the don't-fragment bit is set), the host or gateway cannot fragment the stream. Typically, the sending host has the responsibility of performing fragmentation. The destination host reassembles the datagrams into the original stream before passing it up to the upper layer (TCP or UDP) for processing. However, this is not always the case.
When a source host sends a datagram that reaches a segment and is too large to be forwarded, the gateway performs the fragmentation, breaking the datagram into smaller units acceptable for the media. Having intervening gateways perform fragmentation of datagrams in transit is not a good idea. Routers forced to perform this function require additional resources and add unnecessary overhead and latency to the delivery of the datagram. Because different underlying network architectures support varying frame sizes, find out what the lowest value MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) size is for your network and configure your hosts and gateways to support it. For example, Ethernet has a maximum frame size of 1518 bytes, whereas Token-Ring frames might range from 4,500 bytes to 17,800 bytes.
The DF bit has another use. Some implementations use the DF bit to dynamically discover the MTU size of the network end to end. If intervening routers have this bit enabled, when an end host attempts to send a datagram that is larger than the next segment along the transmission path, the router will not forward the frame. Instead, the router drops the datagram and kicks back to the source host an ICMP message indicating the datagram is too large and has exceeded the maximum segment size. The host then can use this information to resize its next datagram. This process will continue until the sending host has discovered the proper size to send, allowing intervening routers to simply forward datagrams without performing fragmentation en route to its destination.
Bit 3 = Can have one of two values:
0 = Last Fragment
1 = More Fragments
The Last or More Fragments bit indicates whether this is the last datagram within a stream or more datagrams are to follow. If there is only one datagram this bit will be zero, indicating that this is the first and the last, meaning it is the only one. When a destination host receives a datagram, it notes the ID value and checks whether this bit is a one or zero, indicating that this is the last datagram or more are expected. If it expects more, this host holds the datagrams in memory until all others with the same ID arrive and the stream is reassembled and passed up to the appropriate upper-layer protocol for processing. By matching the IDs and referencing the last or more bit, the host knows when to stop expecting future datagrams within this stream and when to start reassembling them.
Fragment Offset
The sending host uses the 13-bit fragment offset value to identify the position of the datagram with the stream being sentthe order in which this datagram belongs when more than one is sent with the same IP identification. The sending host always assigns the first datagram with an offset value of zero. It assigns the second, third, or more datagrams with a number based on the MTU size. The receiver uses the fragment offset value to put the datagrams within the same stream back together upon reception or detect that one is missing within the stream.
For example, if a sending host has three datagrams to send that belong to a stream, it goes through this process:
Assigns each of these datagrams the same ID.
Sets the More Fragments bit to a one on the first two datagrams to indicate that these are not the only datagrams in this stream and that more are to follow.
Sets the Last Fragment bit on the final datagram in the stream.
Each datagrams offset bears an offset value identifying where this datagram belongs in the stream.
Figure 3.4 shows an example of a sending host and a receiving host using the fragment offset value to determine in what order datagrams belong. In Figure 3.4 Station A wants to communicate with Station B and sends a single datagram containing 1500 bytes of information on the wire. Note that the local segment attached to segment A can accept a maximum transmission unit (MTU) size of 1,518 bytes, which is sufficient to support this frame size. The datagram makes it through Router 1, which forwards it on to Router 2 as is. Note that the segment between Router 1 and 2 also accepts an MTU of 1,518.
In Figure 3.4 the WAN segment between Routers 2 and 3 will not accept a segment larger than 512 bytes, so Router 2 must break up the original datagram sent by Host A to fit this datagram on the wire; this is called fragmentation. There now are three datagrams forwarded across this link to Router 3 and ultimately to their final destination, Host B. Once these datagrams reach Host B, this host performs the reassembly prior to sending them up to the upper-layer process. Host B (the receiving host) uses the IP identification field, Last and More Fragments bit, and the fragment offset to piece the datagram back together.
Figure 3.4 In this figure, Host A sends a 512-byte datagram, which is too large for the WAN. Router 2 breaks up the datagram (fragments) into smaller chunks, forwarding them. The destination host is responsible for _reassembly.
Using Figure 3.4 as an example, the receiving host expects to find and reassemble the datagrams in the following order:
The first datagram in a stream always has an offset value of zero, indicating the first one in the stream.
The second datagram has an offset value of 512.
The third datagram has an offset value of 1024.
The receiver stores datagrams in its memory buffer waiting for messages within the stream to arrive. However, it does not always receive the datagrams in order. For example, if the second datagram arrives first with offset 512, the receiver knows to expect several others because
The sending host has set More Fragments bit in the second datagram.
This is not the Last Fragment.
The receiver has not received a datagram with the same ID containing fragment offset zero, which indicates the beginning.
Because it has received a datagram with the More Fragments bit set and has not received a datagram with a Last Fragment bit set, it knows to expect more datagrams. Once the receiver gets all the fragments within the stream, it can put them in the correct order and pass them up to the upper-layer application for processing.
Figures 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7 depict another example of fragmentation and reassembly as seen through a Sniffer. Figure 3.5 details the first datagram within the stream; Figure 3.6 details the second datagram within the stream and Figure 3.7 details the last datagram within the stream. In Figure 3.5 notice that in frame 1 (highlighted in the detail pane), the IP ID value of this frame (frame 1) and all other frames (frames 25) shown in the summary pane bear the same value of 2052, shown as "continuation of indent=2052." This means that frames 15 all belong to stream 2052.
Note that the sending host has set the More Fragments bit within the first frame, indicating the this datagram has more fragments or datagrams within this stream. In other words, this is not the last datagram. Also note that the sending host set the fragment offset to zero, indicating the first fragment in series 2502.
Figure 3.5 The More fragments bit is set indicating more datagrams will follow. The fragment offset set to zero indicates this is the first datagram within the stream.
Figure 3.6 shows the second fragment in stream 2502. Note that the More Fragments bit is set, indicating that more datagrams follow this one. Note that the fragment offset is 1480, which indicates this is not the first datagram (because it is not zero). Because the last fragment bit is not set, we know it is not the last but somewhere in the middle (in this case second). The destination host uses this information to put the fragments in the stream in the right order when it receives all the fragments within the stream.
Figure 3.6 The fragment offset is used by the receiving host to reassemble datagrams.
Figure 3.7 skips fragment 3 and shows the final fragment in the stream. Note that this fragment belongs to the stream because it has the identification value of 2502 like all the other fragments. We know this is the last fragment because Last Fragment is set. The fragment offset of 7400 is higher than the previous fragments so the destination host knows this is the last fragment and starts at the offset.
Time To Live
All devices processing a datagram decrement the 1-byte TTL value, which is measured in seconds. This value has two main purposes:
To define the maximum time a datagram may live on the Internet prior to being discarded.
To ensure that undeliverable datagrams also are discarded.
Before routers existed on the Internet, to ultimately remove a lost datagram from the network it was necessary to recognize and limit the time it traversed the network. The TTL timer was used for this purpose. It remains today and is used for various purposes, such as tracing a route to a destination host or network, which we will discuss later in this chapter. Basically, whenever a device such as a gateway processes a datagram, it must decrement this value by at least one before forwarding it. Each TTL value indicates a value of one second, which is more time than it should take for a router to process a datagram. This value can typically be equated to a hop count indicating the datagram has passed through x number of routers by determining how many TTL units this value has been decremented.
Figure 3.7 Note the Last fragment bit is set indicating to the receiver that this is the last datagram within the stream.
A network administrator can configure the starting TTL value but this value cannot exceed 255 (seconds). The general rule is that a device may not forward a datagram with a TTL value of 1 or less. If a datagram has lived on the wire for 255 seconds and has not reached its ultimate destination, it has lived too long on the network and should be removed. When this occurs, the device that the TTL expired on sends an ICMP message back to the source indicating that the datagram TTL time has exceeded. We will discuss ICMP messages later in this chapter.
The 1-byte protocol field contains a value that specifies the next protocol expected within the datagram. This value will contain one of two values:
IP uses these values to identify to which upper-layer protocol to hand the information when it receives it.
Header Checksum
Because IP is a connectionless protocol, it does not implement any type of error correction mechanism, such as sequencing and acknowledgments. IP simply sends datagrams out, addresses them, and hopes they reach their destination. Therefore, IP uses a simple checksum, contained in this 2-byte field, to verify the integrity of the IP header and the data being carried to ensure that nothing has happened to the bits while in transit between source and destination hosts. Intervening devices must recalculate and verify this checksum value along the way because some of the fields within the IP header change while in transit (for example, time to live). If at any point in time a device deems this value invalid due to damage, it trashes the datagram without sending a message to the source. IP relies on upper-layer protocols to detect the loss of a datagram and recover from it (retransmit).
Source Address
The sending host places its logical Network layer (IP address) address within this 4-byte field for identification purposes.
Destination Address
This 4-bit field identifies the recipient's logical network layer address. This logical 32-bit IP address identifies the destination network and host.
Hosts or gateways can implement optional parameters; when used, this variable-length field defines them here. However, options do not have to exist within a datagram; if implemented, all hosts and gateways must recognize and support their implementation. This could include the use of a security option as specified within by the precedence value used in the ToS field.
IP uses this variable-length field only when an IP header does not end on a 32-bit boundary. Because the IP header is expressed in 32-bit words, padding is used to ensure that this happens.


text:
A man has created what might be the world's largest valentine — using a drone.
Our story, The New Definition Of Drones covered the liftoff 3D Robotics — a company that builds and sells personal drones.
The company was founded on the blog DIY Drones, labeled the largest amateur Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) community on the web. (For anyone curious, the blog is an amazing pulse on the personal drone landscape)
Today, an administrator with the username Krzysztof Bosak posted an epic romantic project for Valentine's Day: "(The) World's Largest Valentine Heart With Dedication (For asena21)."
Krzysztof Bosak plotted on waypoints near Wroclaw, Poland, and mapped/drew by drone a 4x3 KM (2.5x1.9 mile) heart and name asena21.
Krzysztof Bosak is promising a movie in the coming days. Below is a raw video of the flight. But the real question: Who is asena21 and what was her reaction?
From the blog, "Well, she is a very modest girl ;-) I haven't met her in real life that's the problem. Maybe we dislike each other like never before?"
I doubt it, buddy.


text:
My question that I'm creating a code for is as follows:
Write the following methods and provide a program to test them:
boolean sorted(double x, double y, double z),returning true if the arguments are sorted, with the smallest one coming first.
This is my code:
import java.util.Scanner; public class a3q1 { public static void main ( String args[]) { Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in); double x = in.nextDouble(); double y = in.nextDouble(); double z = in.nextDouble(); } public static boolean inorder(double x, double y, double z) { if (x < y && y < z) { System.out.println("Correct!"); } else { System.out.println("incorrect. Try again!"); } } }
For some reason however, it won't compile. My question is, how do I fix the compiling error, and do you think this code is suitable for the question asked?


text:
This 1961 Epiphone Casino was a near twin to Gibson's ES-330.
In 1957, Gibson purchased Epiphone, its major rival of the 1920s and '30s. Production of new Epiphones began in 1958 in Kalamazoo, Michigan—home to Gibson at the time—using a few parts left over from the old Epiphone factory. (Most Epiphone parts had been destroyed in a suspicious fire.)
Familiar model names were used on many guitars in the new line including Triumph, Deluxe, Zenith, and Emperor. The electric thinline guitars (except the Emperor) had new names like the Sheraton (introduced in 1958) and the Casino (introduced in 1961).
The Casino was meant to be a counterpart to the Gibson ES-330 (which made its debut in 1959), and was nearly identical in every way except its cosmetic appearance. The Casino, like the ES-330, was fully hollow without a solid block running down the center of the body, as on the ES-335 and Epi Sheraton. The absence of the maple center block required that the neck join the body at the 16th fret, rather than the 19th.
The early Royal Tan Epiphone Casino pictured this month has features that distinguish it from later models. The headstock, like on all of the earliest Casinos, appears a little wider than a typical Gibson headstock with slightly different top curves. By 1963, it had become more elongated and narrower by the D- and B-string tuners. The dot fingerboard inlays on this early version would change to a wider parallelogram shape by '62. The black plastic P-90 pickup covers were changed to metal covers by '63. The 3-ply, white-black-white pickguard remained standard until the end of the model's original run in 1970.
The original price for an Epiphone Casino E230TD in 1961 was $314.50, plus $50 for a case. The guitar's current market value is about $4,500.
Our featured Casino rests on a 1959 Epiphone Model EA-35 Devon combo amp. The name Devon had previously been used for a budget Epiphone archtop before the Gibson buyout. The original information sheet included in the back of the amp reads: Its unbelievable value includes top mounted, four-tube chassis; top mounted control panel; 9 watts output, two instrument inputs; Jensen 10" speaker, volume control, on-off switch, jeweled pilot light, protective fuse. Large professional size 20" wide, 16" high, 9" deep; weight 20 lbs. The Devon's original price was $95, and its current value is $500.
Like its counterpart, the ES-330, the Casino has a thin, yet completely hollow body.
The 9-watt Devon sports a 10" Jensen speaker and a single volume control.
A toneful pair: Our '61 Casino lounges against a 1959 Epiphone Model EA-35 Devon combo.
Sources for this article include Epiphone: The Complete History by Walter Carter, Gibson Electrics—The Classic Years by A.R. Duchossoir, and The Gibson 335: Its History and Its Players by Adrian Ingram.
Original price: $314.50 plus $50 for
hardshell case in 1961
Current estimated market value: $4,500
Dave's Guitar Shop
Dave Rogers' collection is tended by Laun Braithwaite and Tim Mullally and is on display at:
Dave's Guitar Shop
1227 Third Street South
La Crosse, WI 54601
Photos by Mullally and text by Braithwaite.


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Find information about owner-builders responsibilities on the Owner-Builder Responsibilities page.
Show All Answers
An Owner-Builder is a property owner who acts as his or her own general contractor for a home remodeling project and obtains his or her own building permit. Typically property owners obtain owner-builder permits when they are providing all or a portion of their own labor and/or materials personally. An owner-builder assumes responsibility for the overall job which may include, but is not limited to, taxes, insurance, and other legal liabilities.
Please visit these links to check licensing information for:
All construction complaints should be filed through the State of California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) regardless whether the contractor is licensed or unlicensed.


text:
Hearst Family Legal Battle teaches important lessons
November 29, 2009
CNN and Fortune Magazine recently featured a fascinating article about the legal battle between John Randolph "Bunky" Hearst, Jr., and his ex-wife. Bunky is one of the grandsons of famed media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who left behind the powerful Hearst Corp.
William Randolph Hearst died in 1951 with a trust and estate worth about $400 million in today's dollars. But, more importantly, his trust established a corporate framework that enabled his board of trustees to expand the Hearst holdings into a multi-billion dollar media empire, owning hundreds of magazines, newspapers, television stations, 20% of ESPN, and more. Here is the wikipedia page about Hearst Corp. that overviews how expansive it is.
William Randolph Hearst's estate plan is a great example of how trusts can be used to maximize financial legacies and protect your heirs. While most people don't have to establish complicated boards to manage extensive business holdings like Hearst, everyone can learn a lesson here.
Livings trusts are the best way to pass along assets (be they vast or limited) because they can be individually tailored to meet the needs of any family. Do you have modest assets and children who are good with money? Maybe you want your trust to leave it to them all at once.
Continue reading "Hearst Family Legal Battle teaches important lessons" »


text:
Hyperion Slaughter: Round 5
Type | Level | Reward |
Side Mission | 32 | Sniper Rifle 4422 XP |
Want to get past the Hyperion Slaughterdome? This particular quest will take you a while, either alone or with co-op, because it becomes difficult after round 2.
If you are doing this alone, then a powered up Gunzerker is recommended due to the huge boost to damage, resist and the ammo regeneration. There aren't many places to hide, all you can do is move and shoot then get back to cover. This will become difficult when RPG Loaders and Badass Constructors appear because of the overwhelmingly powerful rockets they hit you with and can bring you down with one blast.
Co-op Play of Slaughter Dome Round 5
Start out as usual, boot mission and make sure you are prepped with plenty of ammo, powerful weapons and great mods, otherwise you won't last more than wave one.
Co-op recommended partners (3 players); Maya with heavy empahsis on crowd control on Motion and Harmony Trees. The second player should be the Commando with emphasis on Survival and some on Guerrilla trees. Lastly the Gunzerker/Zero (this last one is based on your preference, because Zero's deception helps to distract but in my case the Gunzerker helped out a lot especially with the Rampage tree). The Motion tree will give you a lot of breathing room when having the phaselock augmentation (see Siren skill tree for some tips, Gunzerker and Commando as well). Three players are going to make it relatively tough but the rewards could be great when taking out these powered loaders and constructors.
This will start out relative decent when the bell sounds but when beginning, Engineers will be on the first wave and they will spawn on the left side on the floating platforms (BE CAREFUL WHEN FIGHTING HERE, AVOID FALLING OFF FROM ACCIDENTAL WALK OFF, DODGING EXPLOSIONS OR BLASTS FROM EXPLOSIONS). Assuming you can't avoid falling, make sure your team can hold strong for the remaining waves because they will be long and the fallen one can't rejoin the team on the ground, but doesn't mean you are out of the game (see next "In case you die" section below).
Once you are about almost done killing all Engineers, you will not have time to recollect before the next wave begins and the loaders start popping up, more specifically the EXP loaders and basic ones like bulldozers and weak gun types but they will come in large numbers and from all sides. Team work is key and that means COMMUNICATE!!!! Fellow sirens will need to have their phaselocks at max duration with augmentation for suction to maintain flow of enemies. Commandos, have your turrets nearby in case you finish off waves early in which case, reclaim to speed up cooldown. Gunzerkers can help with a lot of support because of duel wielding automatic rifiles and sub machine guns, only duel wield rockets with the tougher badasses come out because they will appear soon.
Badass Loaders will take a little more ammo to take down and they will be multiple amounts with basic loaders and the shield ones, in which case, take out the shield ones first, they can deflect everything. Piece of advice; this could be a tech glitch but when playing as a Siren, you can phaselock the shielded loader when the shield is up, sometimes it happened and sometimes it didn't, do confirm because it comes and goes. When the badass loaders appear, part of the mixed amount of loaders will be the overly powered RPG types.
RPG loaders can shoot up to 2 or 3 rockets every few seconds and are super powerful and knock you into "fight for your life" if hit directly, or knock out shields and most health with splash damage. Make sure that you take these out first over anything else before the shielded loaders come out.
After these RPG types are taken care of, there will be turrets underneath the catwalk in which you took the elevator to the dome, wipe these out because they can be a hassle when taking on so many loaders and surveyors.
Surveyors (Repair bots): These can be a huge pain not with the loaders because the loaders loose health faster than the surveyors can fix, even in the surveyors have some slow repair rate in their own Badass forms. You should worry about these somewhat unless you are good at dodging electric shots that will knock out shields. These are priority when the badass constructors appear because more than one surveyor will be fixing the constructors to keep spawning more bots.
If you have managed to survive most of this, be prepared for the SuperBadass Loaders. Two of these will spawn and from what I recalled they had shields but you could get them without it. Sirens this is when your phaselock comes in handy a whole bunch. Use phaselock to slow down the Superbadasses because these are walking examples of terminators, it takes awhile before they stop.
Quick weapon tips: Try to have powerful weapons from rockets to shotguns and auto weapons with CORROSIVES/CAUSTIC. Loaders are weak against corrosives these can help a bunch, even if your grenade mods have it, even better use it, corrosives will save you.
"In case you died": In the event one of your party didnt make it, they will respawn at the top of the cat walk and will NOT be able to rejoin the team on the ground but this person isn't totally useless. You can squeeze off good shots from openings in the cat walk and slow down a lot of enemies. If you are a commando, there is a minor tech glitch that doesn't always work, but when it does it helps. As the commando, if you died, crouch and see if you can launch your turret through the opening in the catwalk(the edges on the sides). The turret is extremely helpful if the rest of the team is being overwhelmed.


text:
Is your social media program about asking, or answering?
Like Sonny divorcing Cher (or was it the other way around?) there's a schism coming in social media between companies using it for marketing, and companies using it for customer service and CRM.
Thus, one of the first questions I recommend you ask about your social program is whether it's true mission is to gain customers, or retain the ones you have. And at the execution level, it's an important distinction.
If you're trying to gain customers, your social program is more about content creation, influencer identification, and virality. Sample tactics include writing blog posts, sending promotional tweets, creating and posting videos, and blog commenting.
If you're trying to retain customers, your social program is more about listening, problem resolution, and turning customers into advocates. Brand communities, contests, most social listening, and non-promotional tweeting fits into this category.
Match Your Social Media Tactics to Your Social Media Goal
The problem we're faced with today is that very few companies seem to be thinking about their efforts in this way. Instead, we find solely self-promotional Twitter programs (I'd argue this is flawed and Twitter is the de facto tool for customer retention).
We also find Facebook fan pages that try to explain product features (wrong again, as it's unlikely that non-customers are going to fan your page, thus talking about features is preaching to the converted).
Conversely, many blogs are too community-oriented, taking an overly insider approach, given that new research from my friends and clients Compendium Blogware shows that search drives 60%+ of total traffic on 80%+ of corporate blogs. People coming from Google don't know who you are yet, so you can't treat them like a Facebook audience that's already drinking your Kool-aid.
Of course, this isn't entirely an either/or scenario. On Twitter for example, if you're tweeting about your company's new product, you're engaged in a customer gain event. But, if one of your followers tweets and asks you to solve a customer service problem, and you answer back, you're engaged in a customer retention event.
But, figuring out which of these is the primary reason you're active in social media, and how to allocate resources accordingly is going to be a major issue, as norms, software, and staffing around each approach are starting to diverge.
Sure, you can use social media for both customer acquisition and customer retention, but which is your PRIMARY goal?


text:
Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert + More Donate Goods for Auction Benefiting Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Over 50 musicians, sports figures and entertainment organizations have come together to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through a special eBay auction that began this past weekend. Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Josh Thompson, Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean are among the country celebrities who have handed over special items for the benefit. Fans have until May 7 to purchase items in the second-annual auction. Bidding will come to an end at 7 PM ET on Monday.
Other artists donating items to the cause — and there are many — include Alabama, Alan Jackson, American Music Awards, BarlowGirl, Billy Currington, Buckcherry, Bucky Covington, Buffalo Sabres, Charlie Daniels, Country Music Association, Craig Morgan, Doug Johnson, Emmylou Harris, George Strait, Grand Ole Opry, Hunter Hayes, Jake Owen, Jamie McMurray, Jars of Clay, Jerrod Neimann, Johnny Cash, Kellie Pickler, Leann Rimes, Lee Brice, Little Big Town, Lorrie Morgan, Luke Bryan, Montgomery Gentry, NeedToBreathe, Pam Tillis, Rascal Flatts, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, Shania Twain, Sound Stage, Taylor Swift, the Band Perry, Third Day, Thompson Square, Trey Anastasio and Wynonna.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. It was designed to find the cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and help improve the quality of life of patients and their families. For more information on the organization or to donate to the cause, visit the LLS official website here.


text: Whenever I first began eating a more plant-based diet, the avocado became a huge part of my life. I rarely ate it growing up, only in the occasional guacamole and never did I eat it by itself. It simply wasn't something my parents ever though to buy or what I gravitated to when eating out. These days, the story is quite different. I have it almost everyday, because it is honestly the most important ingredient in keeping you on track and eating right. It provides healthy fats and the much needed bulk to keep you full and satiated. Here are 6 ways to complement your healthy lifestyle with avocadoes.


text:
Connecting state and local government leaders
Panasonic unveils the Toughpad 4K UT MB5, a durable tablet with an ultra-high-definition display.
Panasonic unveiled one of the largest, highest resolution tablets ever created with the release of the Toughpad 4K UT-MB5. The tablet has a 20-inch screen, is armored up to be rugged enough for most government uses and can display content at 3,840 by 2,560 resolution.
The tablet, one of Panasonic's rugged Toughpad line of computers, has magnesium alloy frame enclosed in a reinforced glass fiber case and provides business-rugged durability. It's built to handle a 30-inch drop to its back while operating and 12-inch drops when non-operational.
Besides durability, the big news with the Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 is the quality of the images it can render with a display that goes beyond Ultra HD resolution.
The tablet features a 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD screen with 230 pixels per inch, a 15:10 aspect ratio and wide viewing angles.
The system is built on the Intel vPro platform, using an Intel Core i5 vPro processor and Windows 8.1 Pro as the operating system. In addition, the Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 comes with an optional Panasonic Electronic Touch Pen, a new device offering pen-and-paper-like feel for freehand sketching, annotation or handwriting.
The pen uses infrared signals to read each pixel on the screen and communicates with the tablet via Bluetooth. The pen can be held from various angles and can interpret more than 2,000 levels of pressure.
Other features include an NVIDIA GeForce 745M graphical chipset, 256G of SSD memory, 8G of RAM, 2G of video RAM, a USB 3.0 port, a 1,280 by 720 pixel built-in front camera and a smart card reader. The unit weighs 5.27 pounds and is .49 of an inch thick.
The Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 will be available for purchase in January of 2014, at a list price of $5,999, and comes with a three-year warranty.
NEXT STORY: Flash memory boosts big data workloads